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Aruba Switches vs Cisco Ethernet Switches vs HPE Ethernet Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Aruba Switches is 9.7%, down from 12.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Ethernet Switches is 12.8%, down from 18.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of HPE Ethernet Switches is 2.7%, up from 2.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco Ethernet Switches12.8%
Aruba Switches9.7%
HPE Ethernet Switches2.7%
Other74.8%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Eunice Thirikwa - PeerSpot reviewer
Stable hotel networking enhances return on investment with valuable modular features
There are issues with the distribution side of Aruba Switches. For instance, the distributor in our country cannot sell to neighboring countries, creating complications in project execution. Improving the distribution network across regions would be beneficial. Also, the SFP modules are significantly more expensive than industry peers, which affects cost-effectiveness.
Myint Aung - PeerSpot reviewer
Exceptional network support and AI integration drive performance while suggesting enhancements for future use cases
I work with both HyperFlex and other Cisco products. I prefer to make online support available because I can utilize my CCIE architect, solution consultant, and engineer team along with our account manager and product sales team. We can clarify requirements and decide how to support you. We should arrange a conference call about Cisco Ethernet Switches where I can invite my architect and consultant to clarify more about the features that are most beneficial for improving network efficiency. Today is AI day, and all the new firmware includes AI to optimize the performance, traffic, and security of Cisco Ethernet Switches. It's performing very well. With many solutions and vendors available, you have to decide on one. I am extremely satisfied with the licensing cost for Cisco Ethernet Switches. For the price of Cisco Ethernet Switches, I would rate it a 7. My overall rating for Cisco Ethernet Switches is 10 out of 10.
Dinesh Upadhyay - PeerSpot reviewer
Experience years of robust features and strong technical support
It is a nice and robust tool where we use HPE Ethernet Switches. It is a lower switch, and we have received good warranty support with HPE switches. The security features of the HPE Ethernet Switches are good. The UI mode is available, and we can easily configure the access list and SNMP. All these configurations can be done here. Users can enable the Layer 3 features.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The durability of Aruba Switches is essentially beneficial since, once installed, we can forget about them for years."
"Aruba Central is very valuable to us."
"The most valuable feature is the lifetime warranty."
"I rate the stability of Aruba Switches a ten."
"The most valuable features of Aruba Switches include the dual control plane, stackable features such as stack V6 and VSF stacks."
"The most valuable features of Aruba Switches are the routing protocol and the basic functionality."
"We have found that the command line interface is very useful and very similar to Cisco devices."
"Aruba is more stable than Netgear."
"Cisco as a whole is flexible."
"The most valuable feature is the complete functionality, but the most important thing is support."
"The brand name and the service support by Cisco are most valuable."
"The procedures and handling of these switches are easy."
"What I like the most is the performance and the latency that Cisco provides."
"The product offers very good customer support. It's likely the best in the industry."
"The initial setup is really easy."
"These switches help to build the best network, the way we want it."
"The performance is great."
"The technical support for this solution has improved from what it was."
"It is a scalable solution."
"The most valuable product is the unmanaged HP switch."
"We get a lifetime warranty for the solution so whenever the switches get faulty, you can get a replacement."
"A very robust solution."
"The initial setup of this solution is easy."
"The solution is easy to set up and easy to use, unlike, for example, Cisco, which is more complex."
 

Cons

"The solution must improve the switch models."
"I would prefer it if they reduced the cost of the switches and the access points."
"We have had problems with the cooling fans on these switches."
"We've had issues with availability."
"The initial setup is not easy."
"There are issues with the distribution side of Aruba Switches."
"Aruba's switches are older so I'd like to see more upgrades. The newer ones may have that built-in. The product could be more user-friendly."
"The migration from older to newer products could be improved."
"AI technology must be involved in the future."
"Cisco should consider adding a GUI as most vendors now offer the ability to manage switches via a graphical user interface, while Cisco switches are managed using pure CLI."
"The pricing should be reduced so that they are more competitive."
"The installation is difficult and requires further training documentations."
"Firewall features should be pre-enabled in Cisco Ethernet switches."
"Location of customers to connect clients to the servers and transport the data and VoIP in parallel with QoS and NBAR with 802.1X."
"The most challenging part is connecting them through fiber for higher speed in the network."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches could improve if they removed the command line interface and replaced it with a better GUI. It is too difficult at the moment, we always need to figure out the commands."
"The solution would be easier to set up if its GUI could improve or if it had a wizard."
". There is room for improvement in pricing. One box shouldn't require additional installations. We need a package deal with licenses that are usable for different tasks. Right now, we need a license for every additional feature, which adds up."
"Technical support needs improvement, as the response time could be better."
"We have had some rare occasions with glitches, so the stability can be improved."
"VLAN can be improved, but I have to check that with the company expert. I have different switch models, but they don't have all the same interface. I don't know whether lower-level switches don't have the same interface as the better quality ones. I might have two different model types."
"The ability to stack, as well as a unified operating system, would be extremely beneficial."
"The solution lacks certain protocols and has a limited warranty."
"There is room for improvement in the update process, especially the web UI update process."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Our customers may want better pricing but we are a reseller and a partner, and the pricing that we get is good."
"Aruba switches cost between $500 and $600 more than similar products by Huawei, as well as many other brands."
"Comparing with Cisco, and some other solutions, it's a cheap product."
"Aruba Switches are quite cost-effective."
"There is a license to use the solution."
"Aruba Switches have good stability."
"There are no licensing costs for the Aruba Switches."
"This is an affordable solution."
"Its price is a bit higher than other brands. Indian customers are price-conscious. They should improve its price."
"Its price is very high, but it is a good device. Cisco must work on its price. Other solutions provide a better price for similar functionalities."
"When you compare with other products, they are more or less the same price."
"These switches are expensive, but they are an excellent buy and definitely have value for the investment."
"In addition to the fees being high, you pay for support which is also on the higher side."
"It is an expensive product."
"I pay a fixed price on it. I'm not the person on the pursing, so I don't really compare."
"It is very expensive."
"I like HPE switches because you get a perpetual license with the hardware. The initial cost is about the same as other switches, but it starts beating the competitors after three or four years because you don't have to pay for additional annual licensing costs."
"There are no licensing costs for this solution."
"We need to pay when we buy the switch. We pay for a license to use the software, but it is not required."
"Licensing fees are on a yearly basis."
"The tool's pricing is very cheap."
"HP switches are priced well."
"There are free software updates and there is a lifetime warranty for a few of the switch series."
"The price is fair."
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Comparison Review

it_user82779 - PeerSpot reviewer
Jan 29, 2014
Benefits of Juniper vs Cisco
Both are decent products. I prefer Juniper for the following reasons: 1) Cleaner separation of data plane from control plane. Higher end Cisco devices are better at this but most of the lower end products still seem to be more integrated than I like. 2) The Hierarchical config design means I can…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
7%
Educational Organization
7%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
10%
Educational Organization
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business49
Midsize Enterprise17
Large Enterprise21
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business58
Midsize Enterprise36
Large Enterprise53
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business62
Midsize Enterprise19
Large Enterprise31
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Aruba Switches?
Aruba lives up to the expectations of the tech giant hewlett packard enterprise providing excellent networking capabi...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Switches?
The cost of Aruba Switches is based on the price per device. The cost depends on the model. We have 24-port switches,...
What needs improvement with Aruba Switches?
We are not using all the features as we actually have multiple vendors, and I'm not an expert technically for Aruba S...
Would you recommend replacing a Cisco Catalyst Switch by a D-link one?
Hello Mesfin It depends on the real scenario, the cisco 2960 is a very good device and they usually have routing func...
Which would you choose - Fortinet Fortiswitch secure access or Cisco Ethernet Switches?
We researched Cisco but ultimately chose Fortinet FortiSwitch Secure Access, mostly because of the price. Fortinet F...
In terms of ethernet switches, would you go with Cisco or Juniper?
Our organization ran comparison tests to determine whether Cisco or Juniper Ethernet switches were the better fit for...
What do you like most about HPE Ethernet Switches?
The solution is very stable and easy to use.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HPE Ethernet Switches?
The price of HPE Ethernet Switches is reasonable and less than other OEM brands.
What needs improvement with HPE Ethernet Switches?
The price should be reduced in comparison to Cisco, as sometimes we cannot use the HPE one at the core level, where g...
 

Also Known As

8400 Series, 8320 Series, 5400R Series, 3810 Series, 2930M Series, 2930F Series, 2920 Series, 2540 Series, 2530 Series
Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switches
HP Ethernet Switches
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Purdue University
Linz AG
Emirates Palace Hotel
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Netgear and others in Ethernet Switches. Updated: August 2025.
866,088 professionals have used our research since 2012.